From Loss to Opportunity: How One School Accelerated the Reading of Rising Second Graders

Massachusetts Reading Association Primer December 2021 vol. 49. No.2 Massachusetts Reading Association Primer December 2021 vol. 49. No.2

Laurie Higgins

Reading Resource, Wilkins Elementary School, Stoughton, MA

Kathleen Monahan

Principal, Wilkins Elementary School, Stoughton, MA

Educators want to fix things. We are constantly analyzing problems and thinking about the best ways to solve them. When faced with the statistics coming out of the pandemic year, we are overwhelmed with what can be perceived as “problems.” We have been bombarded with stories of “learning loss,” and no one understands this better than teachers. But what if we shifted our thinking from that of loss to opportunity; from that of deficit to growth?

That’s exactly what we did at the Richard L. Wilkins Elementary School in Stoughton, MA, and it worked!

Background

The Covid-19 pandemic required educators nationwide to change their approach to education. In an instant, schools were shut down, and education, as we knew it, changed overnight in March of 2020. Districts scrambled to determine the best ways to educate their students, but admittedly student and staff health and safety took priority. As the summer of 2020 approached, districts were tasked with creating educational plans for numerous scenarios. With Covid-19 still greatly impacting most communities, these

plans were ever-changing and fluid. Stoughton Public Schools created three distinct educational plans: a full in-person plan, a hybrid plan, and a full remote plan. As the fall of 2020 approached, it was decided that the district would implement the hybrid plan with a fully remote option. Families at the elementary level who opted to participate in the hybrid plan would have students in school two days a week and home for three days a week. This plan evolved as the year progressed, eventually adding an additional school day each week for students and encouraging the most at-risk students to attend school full time. In April of 2021, all students enrolled in the hybrid plan returned to school fully in person for the remainder of the school year. At the Richard L. Wilkins Elementary School, approximately 70% of the enrolled students opted into the hybrid plan, with the remaining 30% choosing to learn remotely. These percentages did not vary significantly during the course of the school year, even as the plans evolved.

Rationale

Like so many of the schools in the Commonwealth, based on the winter benchmark data for reading readiness, it was determined that there was significant loss-of-learning for many of our rising second graders. During the 2020-2021 academic year, none of the first-grade students at the Richard L. Wilkins Elementary School had the opportunity to attend school in person for more than their assigned cohort days due to high enrollment and social distancing requirements. Additionally, like all other students in Massachusetts, all of the students were completely remote as of March 13, 2020, therefore missing key opportunities in kindergarten for building the necessary foundational skills required for reading. It should also be noted that 15 first-grade students were level 1 ELL. Because of the cohort model, these students had limited opportunities to practice English because of their reduced time in school. While efforts were made to remediate the loss of learning, progress was less than expected. Our district uses Scholastic’s Next Step Guided Reading Assessment (NSGRA) to measure students’ reading fluency and comprehension. Students are assigned a letter for guided reading leveling purposes. Each grade level has a band of levels that typical students read in during the course of a school year, with benchmark goals set throughout the year. As of the winter benchmark data, of the 49 first

grade students, only 14 were reading at or above grade level (NSGRA level G-L). Of the remaining students, 28 students are reading at a level C or below. It should be noted that students exiting kindergarten should be reading at an NSGRA level of D.

We were obviously faced with a very real “problem”, and our “solve-it” mentality kicked into overdrive. How were we going to help remediate loss-of-learning for these first-grade students and prepare them for second grade? For us, the solution was simple; stop thinking of these rising students in terms of their loss of learning. These students had not lost anything, and they simply had not found their literacy tool kit yet.

When reviewing the data, it was apparent that these students were making significant progress once they returned full time in April. Their progression was just cut short due to the quickly approaching summer vacation. We found ourselves saying things like, “if only we had more time, a few more weeks…”. In these conversations, the solution became clear: we needed to run a five-week summer reading program where students would attend four days a week (Monday - Thursday), starting at the beginning of July and ending in August. At this time, we were confident that we could close some gaps and help these students feel better prepared for second grade!

The Program

The program was designed in a very thoughtful and deliberate way. In order to build off of the existing knowledge that the students already had, we wanted to use curricula that the students were familiar with while exposing them to strategies that would allow them to progress along the continuum of reading. Therefore, lessons were chosen from our existing phonics and English Language Arts curricula. The district currently uses Wilson Fundations as our phonics curriculum for grades k-3. We also used Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study for Reading and Writing within our English Language Arts curriculum.

Students were placed in groups of no more than ten students, and the program was staffed by two certified classroom teachers and one certified reading teacher. The

summer staff met at the end of the school year to review the data. Based on this analysis, an intentional plan was developed that included an hour of phonics instruction, phonemic awareness activities, reading fluency, writing, and reading comprehension (Table 1). Students would get explicit, direct instruction in phonological skill remediation, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Each day began with a soft start. Working together, students played “I Spy” with high-frequency words, constructed and deconstructed words, and went on a story walk. The soft-start was not only a way to ease students into their new day but also engaged students in filling their toolbox from the very start.

The groups were fluid and initially based on end-of-year benchmark data. Each group rotated through three sessions each day, each one devoted to phonics, reading workshop, or fluency. Students had access to texts appropriately leveled with increasing complexity, and they were able to take these books home for additional practice for the duration of the program. The students were set up to transfer the skills and strategies learned from each group to the authentic texts they were reading. Additionally, students were furnished with a collection of books at their level to take home at the conclusion of the program.

Students have become familiar with the structure and routines of the workshop, and it was important for us to build upon the momentum that had already been established during the school year. When rotating through the Reading Workshop portion of their day, students participated in a daily mini-lesson and developed a co-created anchor chart for each strategy taught. Much of this hour was dedicated to partner and independent reading. During this time, the teacher conferred with students and pulled small strategy groups. A group share rounded out the time and reinforced the strategies students were adding to their toolbox.

When students were working with a teacher on phonics, emphasis was placed on reviewing phonics concepts from first grade. It was determined that while these concepts were taught during the year, based on a student’s circumstances, gaps in understanding

were present for many of the students invited to participate in this program. In reviewing concepts taught earlier in the year, it was found that the students were met with success, gained more confidence in their ability to decode, and showed mastery of skills of which they had previously only been familiar.

The final rotation was initially conceptualized as a time for students to improve their sight word recognition and fluency. While this remained a focus throughout the program, handwriting and writing skills were quickly integrated into this time block. Here, students were tasked with identifying sight words and using them in authentic writing pieces.

Data analysis continued to be an important part of this program. It was important for us to be able to determine the effectiveness of our program so that we could make any necessary adjustments for future implementation. Therefore, pre and post-NSGRA assessments were administered for each student to accurately assess individual needs as well as growth.

A Glimpse into the Classroom

“My teacher has that book in our classroom!” “I love that book!” “I know Jabari!” These were some of the chants heard as the rising second-grade students settled into the reading workshop portion of the program. Each day, the students spent an hour adding new reading strategies to their ever-growing toolbox. The lessons began with a mini-lesson that incorporated an interactive read-aloud. The read-aloud served as the anchor to the mini-lesson. However, as all good read alouds, it also promoted vocabulary and stimulated curiosity. As educators, we understand the power of a daily interactive read-aloud. Wiley Blevins (2020), author of many books on teaching phonics and word study, has stated that reading aloud builds vocabulary and content knowledge. “These read-alouds must involve interactive conversations to engage students in thinking about the content and using the vocabulary.” “Too often, when time is limited, the daily read-

alouds are the first thing left out of the reading time. We undervalue its impact on reading growth and must change that.” The team was very thoughtful in choosing the daily read alouds, thinking not only of the engagement picture books provide but also choosing read alouds that best connected to each day’s strategy.

To celebrate all the powerful work the students did throughout the summer, we walked to the local public library. The librarians provided the students with a “behind the scenes” tour and a read-aloud. Each student also received a library card, and all had an opportunity to peruse the shelves and choose books to bring home. For many, this was their first time in a public library. The students were very excited to find that their favorite characters were on the shelves. For our multilingual learners, finding books in their home language inspired hushed shouts of joy at a new sense of agency. We had to remind our students that we still had to walk back to school. They left understanding that now they were readers and had the power to choose their own books from the library.

What We Know

Children make the most reading gains in grade one. According to an article in Reading Rockets by Learning First Alliance, the nine months of first grade are arguably the most important when it comes to learning to read. (Learning First Alliance, n.d.) Based on Fountas and Pinnell’s text level chart, students rise through five levels of text in first grade. We had hoped that our students would learn skills and strategies that would prepare them for success in grade two. We met that expectation, seeing students’ fluency levels increase. All 19 participants increased their reading level: eight students by two levels, five students by three levels, three students by four levels, and the remaining students increased their reading level by one level. It is also important to note that of the students who only increased their reading level by one level, one of these students is a level 1 EL student, and the others had absences in excess of one week.

Much of the evidence that undermines the success of summer programs points to poor attendance. Our experiences substantiate this finding. The students with near-

perfect attendance in our program had the greatest learning gains, evidenced not only in the jumps in reading levels but also in the utilization of advanced reading habits. However, even the students who missed chunks of the program due to prior commitments advanced at least one reading level during the five weeks. The students were excited to attend each day and remained engaged throughout the five hours they were there.

While the increase in reading level is the most tangible marker of progress, we were most impressed with the improved reading habits of all of our readers. We observed an increase in the use of strategies that propel students through increasingly complex texts. Students were staying within the text to decode words, re-reading for fluency without prompting, pausing to think and react to the text, self-correcting, and reading with expression.

One-third of the students in the summer program were identified as multilingual learners. We looked at the strategies we use during our school year to support these students. The use of illustrated anchor charts, mini-lessons, time for authentic practice in leveled and decodable, and differentiated strategy groups lifted the level of all of our readers. The integration of translanguaging to build background and develop vocabulary propelled the students forward in both fiction and nonfiction texts.

What We Learned

The summer provided us with the luxury of face-to-face interaction with each family. We connected with an adult during our drop-off and pick-up each day. These short conversations provided the families with updates on progress and strategies to work on when reading with their children at home. The family members shared what they were noticing outside of the program. Their students were shouting out words as they drove home, they were eager to read at night, and they even taught their families the strategies they were learning. This personalized time between teacher and caregiver was invaluable to the success each student experienced.

These daily interactions inspired us to create and share a bookmark (Image 1) highlighting the strategies students learned along with a one-page tips sheet caregivers could refer to when reading aloud to their child at home. As teachers, our ultimate goal is to instill a love of reading and the confidence to read independently. The bookmark contains the strategies from the five weeks. Students are encouraged to refer to the bookmark if they get stuck. As Nell Duke (2020), renowned literacy leader, stated in When Young Readers Get Stuck, “Children need to read a lot to become proficient readers, and most children will not have the luxury of having an adult with them for all of that reading. Children’s developing ability to help themselves when stuck on a word will lead to more successful and satisfying reading.” The tips sheet contained dialogic reading concepts to support families in engaging in conversations around the books they are reading as well as cues the students were familiar with and would prompt them to keep going. With the right tools reading success is possible.

Reflections on Moving Forward

Going forward, we agreed that increasing family engagement during the five weeks is important. We would like to offer a session for the families before the program begins to focus on strategies for reading at home and end the program with a family conference. While we believe the quick conversations we had with caregivers were beneficial, we also

Figure 1: Strategy Anchor Chart

understand the importance of a strong home-school connection. One thing we learned from our remote teaching is that our families are eager to support their students in any way they can. We want to make sure they have all the tools necessary to make this happen.

Our program was a success. None of us are certain about what the educational experience will be like for our students going forward. Covid 19 has not gone away, and many districts are again faced with the challenge of determining the best ways to meet the needs of their students during more times of uncertainty. One thing we do know, however, is that our students did not lose any learning and will not in the future. Instead, they gained exposure to authentic texts at their level and the appropriate scaffolds they needed in order to progress further into a reading life. We gave this group of 19 students the gifts of time, instruction, and meaningful texts. They accepted it and blossomed into young readers ready for second grade.

The integration of translanguaging to build background and develop vocabulary propelled the students forward in both fiction and nonfiction texts.”

Day 1

*Introduce Reading Journal- Draw and write favorite part from Read Aloud, take-home book bags

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

*Introduce partner reading

Day 5

*Reading Journal- Who are the characters in your story?

Day 6

Day 7

Table 1: Sample Group Instructional Plan

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 - Make a plan to read more and more

Sight Words

Sight word match sticks Magnetic letters w/ shapes

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 Make a plan to read more and more

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 Make a plan to read more and more

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 Make a plan to read more and more

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 Make a plan to read more and more

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 - Make a plan to read more and more

Units of Study

Group 1 - Short Vowel Power Groups 2 & 3 Make a plan to read more and more

Sight Words

Handwriting: Skyline, plane line, grass line, worm line

Sight Words (Writing)

Write and share, “What are you excited for during the summer program?” (journal)

Sight Words

Rotate 2 groups • Group 1 plays Oops on their own • Group 2 plays Matching w/ teacher

Sight Words

Sight word Bingo

Sight Words

Handwriting: Dictation (practice sky writing) • Group 1: /b/, /t/, /s/, /ă/, /o/

Sat, lap, sob, fib, rot, what, his, Is the rat on the log? • Group 2 + 3:/h/, /f/, /t/, /h/, /k/

Path, mush, tug, chip, cod, your, they, Fred had a math quiz.

Sight Words (Writing)

Writing: Writing a letter • Create anchor chart • Review parts of a letter • Write a letter to a family member

References

Duke, N.K. (2020) When Young Readers Get Stuck. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/when-youngreaders-get-stuck Learning First Alliance (n.d.) First Grade Instruction. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/ article/first-grade-instruction Mader, J. (2020). What parents need to know about the research on how kids learn to read. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/what-parents-need-to-know-about-the-researchon-how-kids-learn-to-read/